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Dot Inman Johnson taps GoFundMe

Running a small, cash-strapped city often calls for creative thinking and juggling priorities.

Money dictates what gets done and what gets put on the back burner.

Dorothy Inman Johnson, city manager of Midway, knows this routine all too well. Should the city pay for housing rehabilitation or park recreation staff? How about keeping police cars on the road and providing services for senior citizens?

The city’s $500,000 in property tax revenue only goes so far. So, Inman Johnson is trying something different. Last week she opened an account on GoFundMe, the popular website that bills itself as the “world’s most popular crowdfunding platform.”

The site has been used for such initiatives as musicians needing cash to record a CD, entrepreneurs looking for investors and charitable organizations seeking money for special projects.

Through the city of Midway’s campaign, www.gofundme.com/kzxmc4, Inman Johnson has a set a goal of $250,000. It had raised $100 by Tuesday afternoon.

Midway, she said, is on the cusp of turning the economic corner, with businesses relocating there, privately-owned land being primed for development and young families moving in because of affordable housing costs.

But a lot of that is banking on future returns. In the meantime, Inman Johnson faces a laundry list of immediate needs that aren’t being met.

“It’s a growing city, but it’s not there yet. It’s growing faster than the revenues to provide services,” said Inman Johnson, city manager since September 2013. “We really can’t run a city off of $500,000.”

That amount is about how much Midway gets to provide services from the estimated $2.5 million it generates in property taxes. About $1 million goes to Gadsden County and another $1 million goes to the Gadsden County School District.

That leaves very little for quality of life services and a need to find other sources of money.

The former Tallahassee mayor and city commissioner said she got the GoFundMe idea after hearing that singing group TLC turned to Kickstarter, another online site, to raise money for an upcoming CD. Inman Johnson asked her assistant to research crowdfunding sites.

“I thought if there are some sites online for artists, there must be sites for other services,” she said.

Kelsea Little, a spokeswoman for GoFundMe, said Inman Johnson’s request is not unusual and would fall under the site’s “Community & Neighbors”category.

“We have certainly seen community members raising money to improve their towns,” she said. “From Eagle Scout projects, to community beautification efforts, to public playground repairs, GoFundMe is a popular choice for those looking to make a difference in their city.”

Inman Johnson said money is needed for services such a hiring recreation center staff, finding money to match a grant challenge from the USDA to provide for senior services, maintaining patrol cars, improving rural roads that are prone to flooding and addressing outdated septic tank operations.

“We have a lot of problems and a lot of needs and we don’t have the tax base now to address all of these needs,” she said.

The latest census figures show Midway with the fastest population growth in Gadsden County, with about 3,300 residents, up from 3,000 in 2010. Many of the residents are struggling, however.

“While we are building a strong middle income in Midway, we have a 29-percent poverty rate,” she said, adding that many older houses are in need of repair.

And, while she’s trying to come up with money for basic needs, she’s also looking for help from Gadsden County, the School Board and the Legislature.

“Although residents pay $1.1 million to the county in property taxes, we don’t have a library or health services from the county,” Inman Johnson said. “The county does contribute to our fire services and we pay them for road services because our road department is only four people with no large equipment.”

She also noted that residents pay school taxes, but there are no public schools in Midway. Students are bused to Havana or to East Gadsden High School.

“We’ve been contributing more to the school district than any other city other than Quincy,” Inman Johnson said. “That’s a real inequality for the city of Midway.”

Both County Administrator Robert Presnell and Schools Superintendent Reginald James say they are aware of Midway’s needs and are working toward improvements.

Presnell said there are plans to improve Brickyard Road in Midway and the county wants to find space for library services. This year’s legislative wish list includes funding to replace aging septic tanks with central sewer systems.

James said the district is aware of the desire to build a school in Midway, which he supports. But that’s a lengthy process, involving the Department of Education and the Legislature. In the meantime, Midway students will be eligible to attend the new A-rated Havana Magnet School this fall and the board will be discussing Midway’s needs in a future meeting.

“Midway is one of our shining stars as far as commercial development,” Presnell said. “I know (Inman Johnson) has worked tirelessly to improve the economic condition out there.”